“This innovative partnership with Somatus will help us drive improvement in the quality of life for our members receiving dialysis, enabling them to stay out of the hospital and instead do more of what matters to them,” said Dr. J.B. Sobel, VP and CMO of Medicare Products at BCBS of Tennessee.
VIENNA, Va. (PRWEB) March 14, 2019
Somatus is partnering with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee to provide kidney care to the plan’s Medicare Advantage members with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). The companies have entered into an outcomes-based agreement to improve member health and quality of life. Together, they will empower members to be as healthy as possible and spend more time in their homes and less in institutional care environments.
“This innovative partnership with Somatus will help us drive improvement in the quality of life for our members receiving dialysis, enabling them to stay out of the hospital and instead do more of what matters to them,” said Dr. J.B. Sobel, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Medicare Products at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. “We’ll also make it easier for them to follow their provider’s care plan for any other chronic conditions they may be managing outside of their kidney disease.”
Somatus will use its experienced field-based nursing and renal care team to provide integrated care across all settings: inpatient, outpatient, dialysis center, and home. BlueCross members will benefit from customized support and care plans that include nutrition and health coaching, home dialysis modality education, medication management, behavioral health, and social services.
“I am excited about this new care delivery model for dialysis patients in the BlueCross Medicare Advantage network, as tighter coordination of care has been shown to improve the long-term health outcomes,” said Dr. David Moulton, Medical Director of Clinical Integration with State of Franklin Healthcare Associates in Johnson City, TN.
“These two organizations have a common commitment to deliver better outcomes and a better health care experience for the members of our communities,” stated Dr. Ikenna Okezie, Co-Founder and CEO of Somatus. “We are honored to have a truly aligned partner in BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee to help us revolutionize kidney care across the state.”
About Somatus
Somatus partners with leading health plans, health systems, nephrology and primary care groups to provide integrated care for patients with or at risk of developing kidney disease. As the market leader in value-based kidney care, Somatus’ vertically integrated clinical services and technology delay or prevent disease progression, decrease avoidable hospital utilization, improve quality and care coordination, and increase the use of home dialysis modalities and rates of kidney transplantation. The company is headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, and founded by a team of world-class healthcare operators, successful entrepreneurs, and leading clinicians treating kidney disease. For more information, please visit http://www.somatus.com.
About BlueCross®
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee’s mission is to provide peace of mind through better health. Founded in 1945, the Chattanooga-based company is focused on serving more than 3.5 million members in Tennessee and across the country. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Inc. is an independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association. For more information, visit the company’s website at http://www.bcbst.com.